Shine With Me (With Me in Seattle 15.5)

Leaving so early in the morning has its benefits.

I don’t even monitor my smartwatch to see how far we’ve gone. My legs feel strong, probably from all of the work he put me through over the past week, and my lungs love the brisk air. Before long, we’ve circled back toward the house and ride into the driveway.

“That was so fun.” I grin as I swing my leg over the bike and reach for the water bottle secured to the bar under the seat. “The fifteen miles flew by.”

“We went twenty,” he says, surprising me.

“Seriously?”

“Yes, ma’am. And you killed it, even when we took those hills through downtown.”

“Those burned, I’m not gonna lie. But then we get to go downhill, and it makes up for it. I’ll go open the garage.”

I hurry through the house to press the button for the big door and help Ben stow our gear. I definitely want this to be a regular thing—weather permitting.

“Let’s go in and stretch you out.”

“Yeah, I’m stiffening up. Why don’t you ever have to stretch?”

“I do.” He leads me into the living room where we have a mat set up on the floor from earlier in the week, and we both start stretching out. When it’s time for my legs, I lie on my back, and he kneels between them, pushing my knees up to my chest and then to the side.

This time, his hand slides down the inside of my thigh, and he rubs gently. “How do you feel here?”

“Tight.”

“Hmm.” He leans in and kisses my cheek lightly. And just like that, the whole mood shifts.

And I’m not mad about it.

Those magical hands of his start to roam, and my fingers dive into his hair as he kisses me senseless.

He’s just pressed his still-clothed hardness against my core when his phone rings.

He tips his forehead against mine. “Damn it.”

“You should probably answer that.”

“Damn it,” he says again as he backs away and digs his phone out of his pocket. “It’s the gym. This is Ben.”

His eyes are on mine as he listens to the voice on the other end of the call.

“I’ll be there in fifteen.”

He clicks off and sighs.

“Emergency?” I ask as I sit up.

“Yeah. I’m sorry. You’re welcome to come with me and do your weights earlier than planned, or you can just meet me there later.”

“I’ll meet you,” I reply. “I have some calls to make. I’m getting this new venture underway today and I have some questions I need answered.”

“So quickly?” he asks.

“I’m like a pit bull. Once I dig my teeth in, I don’t let go. I’m excited to get started on it. You go ahead and take care of things, and I’ll meet you there in a few hours.”

He nods, and we both stand, but before I can turn away, he cups my cheek and kisses my forehead.

“I’ll see you soon.”

He walks away, already focused on whatever’s going on at the gym. When the door closes behind him, I fan my face.

Ben is damn sexy. I’m totally going to kiss him every chance I get.

And I’m not sorry.* * * *“This cart is full,” Ben says later that evening. We’re at a local wholesale store, and I’m loading up on the goods. Ben eyes the flat cart I’m toting around. “And that’s half-full.”

“It’ll be fine,” I assure him. “I need more diapers, wipes, and formula.”

I’m glad I took him up on his offer to join me tonight. This is a lot of stuff to lug around, and Ben has muscles for days.

When we’re as loaded down as we can be, we check out. Several thousand dollars later, we make our way out to his SUV.

“This won’t fit,” he points out.

“Didn’t you ever play Tetris when you were a kid?” I ask as I point to the big stuff first. “This will totally fit. It’ll just take some effort.”

Thirty minutes later, with a very full vehicle, we pull into my driveway.

“Now we have to haul all of this inside.” I frown. “That’s always the worst part. Shopping is the fun part.”

“Go in,” he says as we climb out of the SUV. “I’ll bring it in. You just tell me where you want it all.”

“You don’t have to—”

Before I can finish, four other vehicles pull up behind us, and on the street, and we watch as Nic and Matt get out of one, while Luke and Nat and two other couples get out of the others.

“If I’m hosting a party, I’m very poorly prepared,” I say as Nic approaches us.

“No, we’re here to drop stuff off.” Nic grins and points to the others. “I told the girls about your plan, and we all want to help. This is Jules and Nate McKenna. Jules is Matt’s sister. And this is Matt’s brother Caleb, and his wife, Brynna. You know Nat and Luke.”